The rivers in South Korea provide an important source of water for the population and their industry, especially fishing and irrigation of farms. In addition, the rivers provide the fertile alluvial soil needed for agriculture for this mighty country. Below is a list of the longest rivers in South Korea.
Nakdong
A river that passes through the cities of Daegu and Busan is the longest in South Korea, and it flows for about 326 miles into the Korean Strait, providing water to the people of North and South Gyeongsang Province, parts of Gangwon and North Jeolla.
Historically, the river played an important role in providing residence sites for the early inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula. The ancients used it for commercial purposes such as trading in arms and armor, and used the surrounding land for agriculture.
The Nakdong flows from the Taebaek Mountains to the South Sea or Korean Strait, which separates Korea from Japan. The river originates from the junction of the Cheolamcheon and Hwangjicheon streams in Dongjeom-dong, Taebaek city, Gangwon province. From there to its mouth it winds for about 506 kilometres (314 mi). The width of the river ranges from only a few metres in its upper reaches, to several hundred metres towards its estuary.
Major tributaries include the Yeong, Geumho, and Nam rivers. Together with its tributaries, the Nakdong drains most of North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces, along with small portions of North Jeolla, South Jeolla, and Gangwon. The total watershed is 23,384 square kilometres (9,029 sq mi).
Han River
A river that originates in the Taebaek Mountains and flows westward through the peninsula in Gangwon and Gyeonggi counties and the city of Seoul before emptying into the Yellow Sea, its total length is 319 miles.
The Kingdom of Baekje developed along the banks of the river, and was used during the Yi Dynasty between 1910 and 1392 as a strategic location as the main link for the central western region of Korea to the Yellow Sea.
Today it is used for hydroelectric power and some agricultural activities, but it is subject to years of pollution from industries and urban waste, and no longer plays the same role it once did.
The longest river in South Korea
| # | rivers | Length |
| 1 | nakdong | 326 miles |
| 2 | Han River | 319 miles |
| 3 | Kum (Geum River) | 245 miles |
| 4 | Bukhan (Bukhan River) | 197 miles |
| 5 | Imjin | 158 miles |
| 6 | Somjin River | 132 miles |
| 7 | Hwang | 73 miles |
| 8 | Geumho | 72 miles |
| 9 | Yongsan | 72 miles |
